Junior Food Scientist – Product Development & Communications

Elo Foods is a young Finnish food startup building an innovative product from Finnish oats, with our first retail launch planned for 2027. We are a small team, so our first hire will shape both the product and how the world hears about it.

We are looking for a Junior Food Scientist who is equally at home at the lab bench, on the production/kitchen, and on Instagram. Roughly 60% of your time goes to hands-on lab and product development work, and 40% to turning our work into clear, credible and appetising content.

Product development (approx. 60%)

• Run formulation and process trials in the lab, test kitchen and at partner facilities.
• Carry out and document analyses such as texture and rheology, particle size, water activity and shelf-life tests, together with external labs.
• Help organise and document tastings and simple sensory evaluations
• Help build product specifications, quality checks and HACCP documentation as we move from pilot to production.
• Write clear test reports and summaries for the team, partners and funders.

Science & brand communication (approx. 40%)

• Plan and produce content for our social media channels (mainly Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn): from the oat field and the lab to the finished product.
• Explain food science in a way that is accurate, simple and makes people hungry.
• Photograph and film the product, process and recipes; write short posts and longer articles.
• Support communication with retailers, partners and investors, e.g. product sheets and presentations.
  

Must-haves

• A Master's degree (completed or in the final stage) or a University of Applied Sciences (AMK) bachelor's degree in food science, food development, food or bioprocess technology or engineering. Degrees in materials science or other natural science are also considered if you have a genuine interest in food.
• Hands-on experience in a (food) laboratory
• A track record of communicating food, science, technology or professional topics on social media. Please show us examples.
• Good writing and reporting skills in English and Finnish
• Experience using AI tools (e.g. Claude) in professional work
• Ability to travel within Southern Finland

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with oats or cereal science
• Rheology, texture analysis, particle sizing or other instrumental analytics
• Knowledge of chemical analytics for stability or shelf-life evaluation
• Kitchen or food factory work experience and food hygiene passport (hygieniapassi)
• Photo and video skills; basic design tools (e.g. Canva, Adobe)
• Google Workspace tools
• Driving licence (B)
  

• A rare chance to be part of a food product development story from its first jar onwards
• Real responsibility and a broad role across R&D, production and brand
• Direct mentoring from the co-founder with a PhD and industrial R&D background
• Support from an experienced founding team with food development, commercialisation, brand and marketing backgrounds
• Flexible remote work and a small, hands-on team
• Salary: €2,500–3,000 per month
• Possibility of an equity or option arrangement in the future
  

We are inspired by high-quality Finnish raw ingredients and driven to bridge the gap between indulgence, health and sustainability. Our approach is research-focused. If you have a university affiliation and are already partly funded, we are open to discussing collaboration. A small share of working time for a relevant thesis can be discussed.

• Employment: Permanent, full-time, trial period 6 months. Part-time or co-funded arrangements can also be discussed.
• Location: No permanent office yet. Remote work from the Helsinki, Turku or Huittinen region, with regular travel in Southern Finland. Travel costs are reimbursed.
• Language: Our working and brand languages are English and Finnish.
• Start: as soon as possible

Send your CV, a short cover letter and 2–3 links to content you have created (posts, articles, videos, reports) to martti.kaasalainen@elofoods.fi by 31 October 2026.

We review applications as they arrive and may fill the position before the deadline.

Questions? Contact Martti Kaasalainen, Co-founder & CEO, +358 414663288 (Friday 23rd, Monday 26th or Friday 31st October, 10–12) or email (above).